Need Opinions on vehicle/car after child, please!

Go Saints!Thread Starter

I just bought a new 08 Lexus compact 4 door small car(similar to the size of a corolla), will this be a huge problem with a child car seat? Be honest, I'm trying to decide if I should keep it.:s What do you think is the best car/vehicle style: compact, sedan, or SUV?

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we got a SUV in preparation for our first born. i couldnt even imagine fitting that carseat into the sedan we used to have. i would suggest going to dealership and look around. A SUV IMO is more convenient, safe and comfortable for both you and your newborn.

Admin

Admin

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I have to agree with Jen. Right now we have a Honda Accord and its a huge pain in the butt getting dd in and out of the car. Dh and I are looking at 4 Runners. SUV's may not get as good as gas milage but they are much safer if you ever get into a crash.

Member

SUV's aren't really much safer in a crash. They generally pose a greater risk to other road users and pedestrians without increasing the safety of occupants. In fact since they're harder to stop and more unstable they may actually be more dangerous in some cases.
Of course some SUVs have great safety standards but others are really dodgy. Same goes for all car sizes. Instead of thinking in broad catergories such as sedan verse SUV it's better to look at the specific safety features of individual cars.
There are a number of sites that provide stats on the safety performance of various cars (makes and models) http://www.euroncap.com/home.aspx
If you use these kind of sites you need to check what features your car has against what the test cars have. For example the test car may get a higher mark for pedestrian safety because it has reversing cameras but if your car doesn't then you need to take that into account.
Also you might want to think about how often you buy a new car. If you plan to upgrade in just a year or 2 you don't need to think far ahead but if you tend to keep the same car for a few years you might want to think about things like reversing safety, how easily a toddler can get in and out of the car (do you still want to be lifting your baby into an SUV in 3 years?)
Also FWIW the safest colour is white because it's easier to see at dusk and in other low light situations although you can offset that by always driving with your lights on even in broad daylight.

Member

I don't know how convenient/inconvenient it is to use a carseat in a sedan. My SIL had a Volvo Passat sedan and didn't seem to have a problem getting my nephew in and out of. Her DH actually had a Honda Civic Coupe and no problem there either. I don't know if they just got use to it or what, but that's since my nephew was a newborn. So I guess it could work for some people. Maybe try to put a carseat in your new car and see if it works.

I got a Honda Pilot couple years ago because I want a car that would work when we have kids and we are planning to TTC in a year from the time I got the car. I had heard smaller Moms have problems with getting their kids in carseat because SUV are too high for them. We had taken our nephew out quite a few time in my SUV and it wasn't an issue for me. I am 5'3".

Member

Member

i had a bmw coupe and there was no possible way a carseat could ever fit in there. i got the bmw 750 sedan a week ago and when i installed the seat there seemed to be plenty of room. anything is better than the room in the coupe though! she will be born any day now so i guess that will be the real test!

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Your best bet is to go to a place like Babies R Us where they let you try the carseat out in your vehicle before you purchase it. Some brands of carseats really do not fit into certain vehicles while others are fine.

We finally had to move on to a *horror* minivan. I couldn't do an SUV because I couldn't lift the baby that high to safely place them in the carseat (my babies got very heavy very fast), and it would have been very difficult to manage without a third row with three children. The minivan is ideal because both side doors are automatic, as is the lift-gate in back, so I can open both sides remotely as we approach the vehicle and the kids can get in while I put groceries into the remotely-opened back!

Admin

Admin

Member

Have done fine with our Saab 9-3 (4 door+hatchback) and an Outback wagon. Totally agree with the 'go somewhere and test to see what fits' idea. The other thing that comes up - did with my Saab - is that the the seatbelt latch on some cars (the flat part that you slide into the in-seat lock part) doesn't fit thru some models of carseat! If you ever are going to use your carseat without LATCH (I think you need to switch off of LATCH to the seatbelt securing way when baby reaches a certain weight?), this becomes really important. My SAAB seatbelts wouldn't fit thru the Britax Boulevard, but do just fine with the Decathalon. We have a Decathalon in both of our cars and we got a Roundabout for the nanny's Honda Civic 4-door. No space or in-and-out problems there. If you can reasonably maneuver in and out of a backseat of any of your cars, as long as the car seat fits, you should be OK....

..just KEEP swimming

Your best bet is to go to a place like Babies R Us where they let you try the carseat out in your vehicle before you purchase it. Some brands of carseats really do not fit into certain vehicles while others are fine.

We finally had to move on to a *horror* minivan. I couldn't do an SUV because I couldn't lift the baby that high to safely place them in the carseat (my babies got very heavy very fast), and it would have been very difficult to manage without a third row with three children. The minivan is ideal because both side doors are automatic, as is the lift-gate in back, so I can open both sides remotely as we approach the vehicle and the kids can get in while I put groceries into the remotely-opened back!

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I agree! A minivan is the way to go because it's very convenient - for you and the baby. I know.. some people say.. "I will NEVER EVER drive a minivan", but if you really want the convenience and easiness of life with a baby (or babies in the future), the minivan is the answer.

We live OOC right now and we drive a sedan.. with just 1 baby at the moment, it's hard already to put her in her car seat and I am already worried how to fit her and our 2nd baby when he arrives. We're gonna be cramped inside. hee hee. BOY! I miss our minivan back in the States!